Found
by FireEmblemKitsune
Summary: Marth thinks his life at Smash Bros. U is just perfect. Little does he know that that one empty part inside of him is yearning for companionship. When he meets Peach, a normal girl, he finds out something he wasn't expecting about her past. MarthxPeach -DISCONTINUED-
1. Chapter 1

**Found**

**Chapter one- Introduction**

**A/N: I'm back with a new fic. This is a MarthxPeach, but this mainly Marth's POV. This is AU, so don't do anything irrational. Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Enjoy and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not even own a part of SSB, and only hope to achieve this before I turn one hundred.**

**Life at Smash Bros U was anything but perfect for Marth Lowell. His life had improved a great deal here since the death of his entire family. From that day forth, he had promised to be the best student in his classes, making sure he made at least one person proud. And he did. Marth was an A+ star student. He was loved by all his teachers, and that was something that made him feel a little bit appreciated in this university. Before, Marth had been empty inside. He felt lonely and had been friendless. But then Roy had befriended him, and he grew steadily happier. Thus, the perfection of his life had sprouted. ... Or so he thought.**

**It was a sunny afternoon at Smash Bros U. All was calm and quiet, which everyone appreciated. Yesterday had been the first progress report of the year, and many students found that they needed in this subject or another. Roy, Marth's redheaded best friend, was one of those people. He was failing in his French class and needed desperate help. Happily, Marthwas an exception. His grades had been excellent, as always. **

**But grades were not the only thing that Dorm Three was excited about. They were receiving three new dorm mates. Well three really. Samus, a senior and one of Marth's friends, had been moved to their dorm and would be arriving with the three real ew dorm mates. **

**Marth and Roy sat in the downstairs living room of Dorm Three, awaiting the arrival of their new dorm mates. But they were not alone. Asides from themselves, Link, Zelda, Rink, and Ike sat in silence, waiting with bated breath. It had been months since they had recieved new people. The last person to arrive had been Ike. Roy turned to Marth, who sat beside him on a couch. **"Do you think they'll be nice people?" He sounded nervous. Roy had always been the type of person who was afaid of meeting new people.

"They probably will be. No need to worry. Remember, the Hands do not accept newcomers unless they do a thorough background check on them." He patted Roy on the shoulder. "You'll be fine." Roy nodded his thanks for the assurance, and the two friends lapsed into silence as they, along with probably the other dorm residents, waited for the arrival of their newest dorm mates.

A knock sounded at the door some fifteen minutes later. Zelda, hair bouncing, rushed to the door and opened it. There, they found three people they did not recognize. The fourth person, they did recognize. It was Samus. Her hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail, and she was surrounded by luggage, like the other three were. The smallest of them all was a boy with brown hair and a determined look within his sparkling blue eyes. He was dressed in all white clothing, and he seemed to be bouncing in excitement. A girl stood beside him, apparently his companion, by the way he was holding onto her arm. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing a smiling, tender hearted young face. Her blue eyes were averted to the floor. She wore a sky blue sweater pulled over a white shirt, complimented by blue jeans and sneakers. Those two were, by the looks of it, the youngest. A tall blonde man with piercing blue eyes stood in the back of the group. His tall, lean form, which was clad in a black sweater, t-shirt, and jeans caught Zelda's eye momentarily before she remembered she had a boyfriend. At that moment, said boyfriend appeared behind her. "Zel, are the new students-" He cut off midsentence, catching sight of the people standing in the doorway. "I think so," Zelda replied, seemingly teasing. "I don't recognize anyone except Samus in the group, so it's hard to tell."

Zelda and Link escorted the newcomers into the large living room, were the dorm residents had all assembled themselves in a line, in wait for the new arrivals. Zelda led them in. Marth stood to the right, at the end of the line. He observed them as they filed in. Both groups stared at each other for a few minutes, before one of them finally decided to make a bold move of speaking."Hi I'm Pit!" the brown haired boy had stepped forward, a smile stretched across his face. "I'll be a Sophmore, but I am supposed to be in Freshman year. My testing scores were too high to count on the Freshman level, so they bumped me up." Pit stepped back, apparently done with introducing himself. The blonde male, who was standing beside him, stepped forward. "I am Meta Knight. Call me Meta and we'll be on good terms. MK is ok too, but either way it doesn't matter. I am a senior, and I moved here from … Gee, I was so keen to leave my home that I forgot its name already." A few chuckled at his remark. This was an interesting fellow. He stepped back. Samus stepped forward. "You guys all know me, so do I really have to introduce myself?" Zelda nodded. "They don't know you, so yes you do have to introduce yourself." Samus sighed. "Fine. My name is Samus Aran, and I'm a senior. My parents were on the move a lot, so I didn't really have a permanent home. They were bounty hunters, so I guess that was pretty exciting." She stepped back. "There, I'm done." Marth chuckled, but stopped when the last of them, the blond girl with the blue sweater, seemed to shrink back. She looked shy and nervous, unsure of herself in front of these strangers. Pit nudged her gently, making her take a step forwards. "I…I'm P…P…Peach. I'll be in the Sophmore year, and well, I don't really have anything to say." She blushed slightly as a fresh new wave of chuckles made its way to her ears. She cast her eyes to the floor, too nervous to look at anyone. She stepped back inline next to Pit, and he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Nice to meet you all," Zelda finally spoke up when it seemed no one would. "My name is Zelda, and this is my boyfriend, Link. It's nice to have some new faces to see every morning. You can only look at a certain person for a certain amount of times before you get tired of it." The newcomers laughed lightly. Well, Pit laughed lightly. The other two didn't respond. Peach still had her eyes averted to the ground, and Meta Knight seemed to have lapsed into a silence hardly broken from now on.

Zelda introduced the rest of the dorm, which was very few. Of course there was Marth and Roy, but apart from them was Ike, Rink (Dark Link in this case), and well, the newcomers. That came out to be a total amount of ten dorm residents. Marth had decided to chat with the newcomers, seeing how they liked it here. Pit seemed to have already fallen in love with the place, Marth soon found out. He adored the classes and seemed to be rather enthusiastic avout the whole thing. MK seemed to be enjoying himself. At least, that's what Marth thought. He kept to the corner a lot, preferring to read a book he had brought along with him. Marth had tried starting up a conversation, but to no avail. He was now in search of the girl, but she had seemed to have disappeared.

"Hey Roy?" Marth approached Roy, who was just helping Pit haul his bags inside. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen the new girl, Peach? I've been trying to look for her, but I couldn't find her anywhere."

"Nope, haven't seen her. Probably went off exploring. She'll turn up eventually." With a big huff, he dropped a particularly heavy bag on the floor. He rubbed his shoulder gratefully. "All right, thanks Roy. I guess I'llsee you guys later. I have some homework to finish." They both waved and Marth headed to his room. On his way past one of the doors, Marth could have sworn he heard a noise. It sounded like someone was crying. Marth cocked his head, interested by who could be crying, but the sobs seemed to abruptly stop. He frowned. He'd probably had imagine the crying. He continued on to his room, where he got down to finishing some homework for the next day.

Dinner was very animated. Everyone seemed hyped up. They were all still excited for the newcomers. It turned out Samus had been transferred to their dorm, so she made up for one of the three that supposedly hadn't shown up. It had been decided that Pit would dorm with Link, while Meta with Ike and Rink. Zelda dormed with Peach, and Samus got a dorm to herself. She didn't seem to mind, and neither did anyone else. Marth made small talk with all his friends, enjoying himself like he always did. He couldn't help but notice Peach, who was seated a couple of seats away from everyone else. Her eyes were very red, as if from crying. Marth realized with a jolt that it had been her crying he thought he heard. She wasn't touching her food much. Marth was about to scoot over and ask what was the matter, when she suddenly stood and tossed her food into the trash. She quickly left the room, unnoticed by anyone, including Pit, who was having a very animated discussion with Rink about the best type of candy. Marth thought it rather odd that she had left rather quickly, but he stayed in his seat. Hopefully, she would return so he could at least get to know her a little.

However, he did not see her for the rest of the night. In fact, the only chance he caught sight of her was when he saw her passing through the halls of the classes the next morning. She was accompanied by her peppy friend, Pit. Her eyes were cast down to the floor, and she hardly seemed interested in whatever Pit was saying. Then she was gone, whisked away by the crowd.

Marth entered his Chemistry class, yawning. It so happened to be a Monday, and Marth hated Mondays with a passion. Mondays were just not his thing. Everyone just always seemed to be so tired and grumpy, so he thought it stupid that they had classes on Monday. He sat down next to Roy. They were lab partners. He realized that they were a few minutes early, so he managed to copy the agenda and be prepared for when the bell rang. But since it didn't …

"Roy?" Roy looked up from his planner, apparently following suit to Marth. "Yeah?"

"What do you think of the newcomers in the dorms?" Roy closed his planner and put it away. He turned to face Marth. "They're alright. That Meta fellow is a bit … quirky. He just suddenly doesn't talk, and it seems when he does, he hardly has anything to say," Marth laughed at this remark, Roy joining in. He was right. This was obvious from the beginning. After introductions, he had suddenly become silent, responding with only nods and grunts. They had both thought this peculiar, but decided not to ponder this too far. "I like Pit though. He's so peppy. He has a good air about him. A little of a chatterbox, but certainly a good sport. And Peach," he frowned slightly, "I'm not sure about her. She's so … so quiet. I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her yet. She slipped off somewhere, and I haven't seen her." Roy shrugged at this. "I don't know, maybe she was busy with something or other. We'll get to know her eventually." Marth nodded his agreement and they both turned their attension to Ms. Kolt, the teacher, who had begun to teach. Throughout their conversation, the boys had failed to notice that the class had grown considerably. Marth's mind began to shut down as soon as Ms. Kolt began to lecture them about the proper treatments of chemicals, and Marth found himself drifting into a daze. Her voice droned on and on, putting most of the class to sleep. Even Marth found it hard to take notes with the sleepiness threatening to overwhelm him. He couldn't help but laugh at Roy's expressionless face. His eyes had begun to glaze over, and he was drooling slightly onto his arm, every once in a while jotting something down.

Marth made it through the rest of Chemistry and English Lit. without realizing the classes he had already sat through. The lecture had left a sort of daze upon the entire class, Marth included. Mr. Smydth did not appreciate his class half asleep, and gave them extra homework for their lack of attension. His mustache had bristled angrily, and his eyes narrowed into slits. Even with his graying features, the thin man's expression had looked as if it were meant to kill. Luckily, they were reading one of Marth's favorite books, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

Marth and Roy parted ways after their break, Roy grumpily heading for French class and Marth headed for the choir room. He was one of the few boys who was in choir. Apart from himself and a few others, the choir was dominated by girls. Marth was also the only soprano males. But apparently, that would change today. They were receiving two new recruits, and Marth had a feeling who at least one of them were.

He entered class and greeted Ms. Histe, the choir director. She was a tall, auburn-haired woman with laugh lines and green eyes. She was kind and seemed to always be bursting with music. There wasn't a free moment where she wasn't singing or humming a tune. She waved at him and he took his place in the second row of the three rows of seats. Marth didn't notice the once empty seats in the second row, which were now filled. The bell rang, signaling the start of classes. They all stood, doing warm-ups as usual. After they had finished, Ms. Heist had an announcement.

"Class, we have received the two new recruits that we've been waiting for so long." The class cheered happily, and when the cheers subsided, she continued. "May I introduce … Pit Icarus and Peach … Peach," she frowned at the clipboard in her hands. "There is no last name here. Do you have a last name dear?" Marth slightly jumped, startled, as Pit and Peach stood up from the row ahead of him. Marth hadn't expected for Peach to be here. He had immediately noticed that Pit had a voice of a true singer, so he had assumed he'd be one of the two new arrivals.

Peach shook her head nervously. "No … no ma'am. They call me by my middle name, Ninian. They also tend to use it as my surname." Her voice sounded timid, and she quickly sat back down. Ms. Hieste nodded. "Very well. Anyway, help me welcome our new choir members!" Everyone clapped and cheered again. Marth smiled as Pit bowed slightly and sat down. For the rest of class, Pit wore a big smile upon his face, and sang out. He truly sounded like an angel. Marth strained to try to hear Peach sing, but was unsuccessful.

The rest of class, and Phys Ed. afterwards, passed by in a flash. Marth soon found himself surrounded by Zelda, Link, and Roy, who had all met up in Phys Ed. They were currently on their way to lunch. Marth however, had to make a stop at his locker. He needed to rid his heavy load of books before they sat down for lunch. Before he excused himself from the group, he heard Ms. Kolt call Roy over. Roy grimaced and headed her way. Marth headed back towards his locker. After storing the books, Marth decided to take a shortcut to the cafeteria. As he was rounding the corner, voices made him freeze in surprise. Usually, there was no one in the halls around the classrooms and lockers at lunchtime. Marth cocked his head to the side, curious, as he heard cruel laughter and the sounds of someone whimpering in fear.

"So Nameeless, where's the money? We know you have money with you. They always do. No one sends their little darlings to college without some money in their pocket. Go on, pay up!" Marth took a few cautious steps forwards, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to be noticed. When a quivering voice answered, he froze in terror and shock. It was …

A/N: Ta-da! The first chapter. I'll try to post the next chapter soon, and hopefully I'll get some positive feedback! Please R+R+R (read, relax, and review!) :D Oh yeah, sorry for my sucky writing. I was having some serious case of writer's block, so the ending is a bit sucky. I'm looking for someone that Roy should date, so if you guys will please send me a message about who you think should go with Roy, that'll be great. XD

~FE


	2. Chapter 2 Bruises

**Found Love**

**Chapter 2: Bruises**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I'm going to try to finish this story, but I have a tendency to procrastinate. Sorry if you guys actually want to read and I'm taking forever. You just have to annoy me half to death so I can get a move on. Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter! I appreciate someone reading this story, since it took me a while to think about it. **

**A HUGE thanks to ADashOfInsanity for lending me THe Boy WIth The Butterfly Wings. If not for her, I wouldn't have this story. All rights to THe Boy With THe Butterfly Wings go to her, so noone try taking it or I'll have a lawyer after you guys. I'm serious. And also, this story is dedicated to ADashOfInsanity, who inspired me to write this story. =D**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Stop nagging me Nintendo! You just want me to feel bad! *sniffs loudly***

**Enjoy and reviews are welcome! :D**

**Chapter two: Bruises **

**It ****was ****Peach****'****s ****voice, ****quivering ****with ****apparent ****fright.**** "****I**** … ****I d ... d ... ****don****'****t ****have ****any m****oney. ****My**** … ****my ****parents ****didn****'****t ****give ****me ****any. ****I****'****m ****sorry, ****I ****didn****'****t ****know you wanted some. If I ... I asked, maybe they'd give me some.****" ****One ****of ****the ****voices, ****a ****girl****'****s ****by ****the ****sound ****of ****it, ****shrieked with****laughter.**** "****You ****hear ****that?**** She****'****s ****sorry ****that ****she ****doesn****'****t ****have ****money ****for ****us ****to ****take!****" ****The ****rest ****of ****the ****voices laughed along with the first. A****girl ****asked,**** "****So ****what ****do ****we ****do ****to ****her?****" ****The ****other ****seemed ****to ****consider.**** "****Let****'****s ****give ****her ****a **_proper_ welcome to the campus, shall we?." There was the sound of ruthless laughter and then Peach cried out in what could be only pain. The girls laughed again, and there was the sound of knuckles making contact with bone. The lockers rattled loudly as apparently Peach slammed into them. Marth couldn't bare to hear noises of abuse. He rushed around the corner just in time to see Peach receive another blow to the stomach. She was cornered by a pack of burly looking girls. Marth instantly knew these girls. These were the girls who roamed around campus, terrifying younger students. His dislike became evident when Peach slumped to the floor and curled up. One of the girls kicked her to the side, taking her backpack and dumping its contents onto the floor. All her books and other possessions fell out. After finding nothing of interest, the girls discarded the backpack. They were about to leave when Marth finally found his voice.

"Hey! What the _**hell**_ are you doing?" At the sound of his voice, the group broke out into a run. They turned the corner, but Marth did not bother chasing them. It was useless doing that. They were bigger and stronger than him. Plus, there was five of them and only one of him. He ran towards where Peach lay, and knelt beside her. He gently touched her shoulder, and she seemed to instinctively flinch. She looked up and was met with a pair of cerulean eyes full of concern.

"Are you ok?" His voice was laced with concern. She nodded, unable to answer. Her throat was full of tears she was trying to choke back. "I saw what happened. It didn't look so well. And see, you have a bloody nose." He fished a packet of Klenex from his bag and handed it to her. She shakily took the packet, nodding her thanks. She pressed a few tissues to her nose, stemming the flow of blood. "Are you sure you're ok? You seem pretty shaken." She nodded, still not answering. Marth suddenly looked at her full in the face. He gasped at what he saw. She bore a bruised, swollen black and purple eye that was developing quickly. There were cuts and scratches across her face, and it looked like her jaw was broken. At the horrified expression on Marth's face, Peach finally burst into tears. She turned and ran quickly around the corner. Marth tried to catch up to her, but that girl was speedy. She was gone from his sight in a matter of seconds. He swore loudly before turning to retrieve his bookbag from the floor, where he had dropped it to help Peach. He was about to head for the cafeteria before he noticed that Peach had left her books and bag on the floor. He hesitated a moment before stooping down and scooping her things into his arms. He carried it with him, heading for the cafeteria and his friends, who were probably wondering where the hell he was.

"Where have you been?" Zelda demanded as he approached his friends' table a few minutes later. "You've been gone for twenty minutes. How long does it take you to go to your locker and back?" Marth shrugged and took a seat next to Samus, across from Zelda and Link. "I had to make another pit stop." He reached for a basket of celery sticks and munched aimlessly on one. His mind was still reeling from what he had heard and witnessed. Link raised an eyebrow. "Why? What happened? Did you have to run an errand for one of your teachers? You're a target for attension from your teachers, you know?" Marth shook his head. "It was nothing like that at all." He suddenly put down the celery stick he had picked up. He had lost his appetite. "Marth, we can tell something's bothering you, so tell us what happened." Samus spoke up from beside him, startling him. He had forgotten that she had been there. He had noticed that she was there when he had arrived, but it seemed to have slipped his mind. He wondered why she was even sitting with them. She never did. Anyways...

So, he told them. He recounted what he had overheard and seen. After he had finished, there was total silence amongst his friends. Finally, Zelda spoke up. Her voice sounded appalled. "And she didn't ask for help? From you, I mean?" Marth shook his head. "No. Whenever I asked her a question, she would just nod. Then, when I saw her black eye and all those cuts, she ran away. I think she started crying. I don't know." Link whistled. "That's tough. It's only her first day here, and she's already being bullied. That must suck." Everyone was silent and then, "I don't think this is the first time she's been bullied." Zelda had spoken yet again. Marth raised an eyebrow at her. "But Zel, this is only her first day. It's not like-" He was interrupted by Zelda, who sounded impatient. "I know that. I mean, maybe there's something going on at home or something. Yesterday, when I was going to sleep, I heard her crying. She sounded really bad." Marth frowned. "Or, she could have been homesick. I heard crying too, but I had thought that I imagined it." Everyone sat in thoughtful silence. Then Samus spoke. "Either way, we must not get involved." They all stared at her, shocked. "But-" Marth began to rebuff, but Samus cut him off. What was this, cut-off-Marth-day? He couldn't help thinking. "We must not interfere because we don't know who she is, or what her story is for that matter. She is new and it is her first day of school, so maybe she is just homesick like Link mensioned. We should not meddle, at least for now. Get to know her a little bit and try finding out her story. Then, and only then, we can act. But for now," she began collecting her things as the bell rang, "for now, just watch her from a distance." She left to her Phys Ed class, leaving everyone in silence. Finally, Link spoke up. "She's right, you know?" The other two nodded. Indeed, she was right. Marth suddenly noticed that Roy was missing from the group. "Hey, where's Roy?"

"He was recruited to help Ms. Kolt clean the lab for tomorrow's experiment." Link sniggered. "You should have seen his face. Priceless." The conversation moved onto lighter topics, but even when Marth left with his friends to his next class, Calculus, he had a slight headache. Before going to class though, he made a short stop at the dorm, where he left Peach's bag on the living room couch. He made a mental note to ask if she was ok later.

The rest of the day flew by in a blur, and by the end, Marth had a bigger headache. Roy had eventually joined them, shaking his head and looking irritated. Marth was quick to fill him in on lunch's events as they walked into their dorm and sat down at the kitchen table. "Samus is right if you look at it that way. We hardly know her, so we should get close and then pounce." Link laughed and Marth scowled. "Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like she's prey and we're the predators. She seems … different somehow. I just can't put my finger on it." Indeed, this thought had been nagging Marth all through class. It had occurred to him during a particularly boring Nintendean History class. Now, it wouldn't stop bothering him, and he was putting his thought to the test. "I mean, just from the way she has acted so far has proven that. She's not bouncing around the walls being happy and excited like every other new student usually does. Maybe, just maybe, there's something different about her that's an important factor." His friends agreed with him. Zelda stood. "I'm going to make dinner. So, all of you, get out. C'mon, out with you all." The rest cleared out before Zelda used her magic to personally remove them from the room. They had all experienced Zelda's personal removal from various places, and it wasn't a joyful memory. Marth particularly remembered, and was one of the first to leave.

As they entered the living room, Marth noticed that Peach's bookbag was still where he had left it. Had Peach noticed it? Had she even come here like he had thought she would? He picked it up, deciding to give it to her. Maybe she was in her room and hadn't noticed it.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked. He sprawled out on the carpet and opened his English textbook. "I'm going to give this to Peach. She probably didn't notice it." Roy rolled his eyes. "I swear, soon you'll become her personal stalker." Marth grimaced. "I'm not like that. I just want to make sure her first few days aren't rough like mine were." He headed upstairs. He knocked on her door, it being the third door down the hall. The plaque read: 'Zelda and Peach' . before knocking, he silently pressed his ear against the door. Inside, he heard the sounds of sobbing. Tentatively, he knocked on the door. He heard a gasp from within and the sound of fumbling fingers unlocking the door. Peach cracked the door, one light blue eye visible. It looked watery, as if she had been crying. Marth cleared his throat, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Err, Peach? I brought you your bookbag. I thought you didn't see it." He stood there, as she stared at him through the crack of the door. Slowly, the door opened and she stood in the dorrway. Her hair was messy around her soft face. Her eyes were puffy from crying and, her black eye and various cuts … weren't there. Marth stared. He could have sworn she had had a black eye earlier. But now, her face was perfectly fine. The bruise that should have been there from the punch to her face wasn't there. Actually, all signs of today's events should have been present. Not even the apparent broken jaw was visible. Marth couldn't help staring. It just couldn't be true. She wordlessly stretched out her hand for her bag. Marth handed it over in a daze. She quietly thanked him and closed the door. Marth stood there for a minute. It couldn't have been true. It just couldn't. He himself witnessed her receive the blow to the face that had given her the bruises. But now, now he didn't know.

Marth headed off to his shared room, deciding to miss dinner. He lay on his bed, head pounding with confusion. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. It was so confusing. Finally, he opted for going to bed early. Sleeping always helped him whenever he was confused or he had a headache. He prayed that everything would straighten itself out in the morning. Before he drifted off to sleep, Marth was pretty sure of two things. One of the things was that as Peach had opened the door, Marth could have sworn he caught a glimpse of an array of what seemed to be makeup on her bed. The second thing was, he hadn't done his homework! Damn, he was in trouble tomorrow.

_End of Chapter 2_

A/N: I know, it's kind of short, but I'll try to make it longer. See, I finally updated! THis is a big milestone for me, since I hardly ever update anything. Anyways please read+relax+review! :D

~FE


	3. Chapter 3 Painful Memories: Marth's POV

_**Chapter 3- Painful Memories: Marth's POV**_

**A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! I really appreciate all the reviews, and for that, here's chapter three. Sorry for the late update. Crappy Internet service. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy. Just to show my gratitude, here's some cookies I got from the dark side. The chocolate chips are still hot! Mmmmmm**

**Anyways, in this chapter, you'll get to see a little of what Marth has been dealing with, both in his present, and in his past. This shows that his life was never perfect, no matter how much he wished it was. This will all lead up to something, I'm not quite sure. **

**Anyways, read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, I'd probably be living in Japan. Sadly, I'm in California, trying not to freeze. :D**

Marth woke from a restless sleep the next morning, drenched in sweat. He had had a disturbing nightmare, which had left him with no energy for the day. And that was just peachy. His dream happened to be a frequently recurring nightmare. This nightmare wasn't just any ordinary nightmare either. It was a nightmare that had only just been reality a few years ago. But it had quickly turned nightmarish back then, so it was certainly nightmarish now. He shuddered again and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He checked his bedside clock. It read 5-30 in the morning, much too early for him to get ready for class. He yawned widely and tried to go back to sleep. But sleep was clearly out of the question now. All signs of sleep, no matter how tired he was, was gone. Deciding to take his morning shower, he got out of bed, shivering with the cold. He glanced over to Roy's bed to find his friend snoring away, hugging a pillow with his mouth wide open. Marth smirked and then gathered his belongings, heading to the bathroom.

When he reached the door to the bathroom, he found that the door was locked. He swore under his breath and prepared to wait. Whoever was in there better of hurry up. It was freezing out here, and the cold was making its way through Marth's clothing. He glanced about the hall. All was quiet. Snores could be heard up and down the halls. Ike and Meta Knight seemed to be having a snoring contest. It always drove everyone crazy nowadays. He spotted the thermostat. It read 48 degrees. So that's why it was so damn cold in here! He quickly crossed to the wall and turned up the heat. He didn't notice how high, however. It quickly warmed up, and he found that he had stopped shivering. Whoever had been in the bathroom was sure taking his or her time. Marth sank to the floor, and surprisingly, quickly fell asleep.

"Hey, wake up. C'mon, wake up!" Something nudged Marth. He groaned and turned over, not wanting to wake.

"Dude, c'mon, wake up! You're drooling on the floor!" Marth blinked sleepily, staring up at the figure above him. Peach stood above him, eyes twinkling and a smile plastered across her face, as if she wanted to laugh. Her face, looked, to Marth's surprise, looked bruised. She was wearing a long sleeved blue v-neck and some torn jeans. She looked quite pretty, aside from the bruises. Marth shook his head. "Wha?" Peach laughed. "You fell asleep next to the door. I was kind of curious why you were there." Marth stood. "Oh, I was just waiting for someone to get out of the shower. I woke up pretty early, and I decided to take an early shower. I didn't mean to fall asleep." Peach laughed again. "You're quite funny when you blather on in the morning," Marth stared at her, dumbfounded. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't know your name. Mine's Peach by the way." Marth shook her extended hand. "I'm Marth. It's nice to finally truly meet you." Peach smiled, and Marth smiled back. "Nice to finally meet you too." Marth gathered up his things. "Anyways, I'll catch you later okay?"

"Sure thing. Listen Marth, can I talk to you later? Maybe at lunch?" Marth nodded. "Sure thing." He stepped inside the bathroom, and she waved goodbye.

Marth showered and dressed, all the while wondering what was with Peach's happy mood. She seemed … a bit cheerier today. He pulled a black headband over his head, holding back his blue locks. He checked himself in the mirror, making sure he was presentable. He wore a blue short sleeved v-neck, which complimented his physique. Tight black skinny jeans sheathed his legs in their denim. He brushed a strand of hair behind his head. Finally, he was satisfied. He walked out of the bathroom. Everyone seemed to be awake by now, so he thought it unnecessary to be quiet. He vaguely started singing a song, letting his voice carry throughout the dorm.

He entered the kitchen to find Roy, fully dressed and drinking a cup of coffee. "Well, look who's peppy this morning." Marth chuckled and poured himself a cup of tea. "I just feel a bit happier. My headache finally left, so I'm alright now." Roy rolled his eyes. "Is that really it? I have a feeling it's not." Marth blushed. "It is, really." Roy narrowed his eyes. "You're lying to me Marth. You can't lie to me bro." Marth stuck out his tongue childishly. "It's nothing, really. I just feel … feel at peace with the world." Roy snorted. "At peace with the world? Your seriously starting to worry me Marth. I think you need to see the psychiatrist."

"I do not!" Marth protested loudly. "Yes you do. You're a freaking perfectionist for goddess's sakes! That's not right to me at all. Being perfect is a curse, a curse I tell you." Marth snorted with laughter. "Look who's saying that I need help. Your about as superstitious as I am. And believe me, I can be superstitious when I want to."

"True, so true. Anyways," He stood up. "I've got to go."

"Where you heading?" Marth asked, sitting at the table to drink his tea. "Have to go to the main office. I lost my Calculus book, so I couldn't do my homework." Marth rolled his eyes. He knew very well that Roy had not lost his textbook. He always pulled out this excuse whenever they focused on a lesson that he didn't understand. Roy bid him a farewell and Marth was left in a silent kitchen. Marth facepalmed. Putting on an act of happiness was far harder than it looked, especially when you had Roy as a best friend. Marth was far from happy right now. He thought the kitchen was quiet, but it wasn't silent for long.

"Lalalala lalalala, Pit's World!" said boy danced into the room, not taking notice of Marth at first. He poured himself a cup of Sunny-D and continued dancing. "Pit loves his Sunny-D, his Oreos too! IT'S PIIIIIT'S WORLD!" He gave a rather adorable twirl before sitting down at the table. He finally noticed Marth, who had fallen out of his chair, filled to the bursting with laughter. "What … was … that?" Marth managed to choke out between his bursts of laughter. Pit frowned, a confused look crossing his face. "It's my morning song. I sing it every morning. Why, what's so funny?" Marth, finally being able to talk coherently, stood. "Nothing," he wiped his streaming eyes and picked up his cup of tea. "Nothing at all, Pit. It's just, in Dorm 3, we never see people singing a little kids' tune in the morning." Pit laughed. "Oh, okay! I used to really like that show when I was little, so the song always stuck with me." Marth nodded. "Ah, I understand. Anyways, I've got to-"

"What the HELL!" someone yelled from the hall. A loud thud was heard. Marth and Pit bolted from the kitchen and down the hall, where they found Ike sprawled out on the floor in front of the bathroom. "What happened?" Pit asked, concerned. "Someone left water on the floor and I slipped." Ike growled. "I'm gonna kill whoever left that out. Can't a man walk down the hall without fearing for his life?"

"Well …" Pit began.

"That was rhetorical, Pit." He heaved himself off the ground. "I need some coffee." He stomped down the hall, grumbling to himself. Pit turned to Marth and was surprised to find Marth snickering. "What's with you?"

"Sorry Pit. I've got … to go. Got classes in a few minutes." Marth ran down the hall and apparently out of the dorm. Pit waved, heading back to the kitchen for his Sunny-D and some Oreos.

The morning passed by quickly, and Marth found himself anxiously waiting for lunch to arrive. He didn't know why, but he was rather anxious to have that talk with Peach. She had seemed rather intent on talking to him this morning, so he couldn't wait to find out what it was she wanted.

"Marth? Marth, are you even listening to me?" Zelda prodded him in the shoulder, drawing Marth out of a daydream. He shook his head. "Sorry, what?"

"I said did you know that Samus just passed by and put a white flower in your hair?" Marth blinked. "Wait what!" He looked up, and sure enough, a white flower was placed in his hair, above his right ear. He stared at it for a minute before making a move to remove it. "Wait don't!" Zelda grabbed his hand as he attempted to get rid of the incriminating evidence. "You look really cute with the flower." Link snickered. "Yeah, real manly." Marth blushed. "Shut it Link. I'm not the one wearing a skirt."

"It's not a skirt, it's a tunic dammit!" Zelda ignored both of them and took out her cell. She quickly took a picture of Marth, who didn't notice. She then proceeded to send it to everyone in the dorm. Marth and Link continued to bicker, and Roy seemed to materialize out of nowhere, unnoticed by the bickering pair.

"Where've you been?" Zelda asked. Roy sighed heavily. "I almost got detension. I tried putting a pin in Ms. Kolt's chair when she wasn't looking, but she caught me. I managed to get out by saying I was taking it off her chair. It was really hard convincing her though." Marth looked over at his friend. "You're honestly looking to get expelled this year, aren't you?" Roy grinned. "No, but it's really fun playing pranks on the teachers." Marth sighed. What he was going to do with his friend, he didn't know. Link suddenly stopped fussing over his skirt, (Err, I mean tunic), and pointed. "Hey, that Peach girl is coming over. I wonder what she wants." Marth looked up expectantly. He hadn't told his friends that he was meeting with Peach, at lunch. She walked over, and Marth was not really surprised to see that her face looked perfectly fine. She approached, looking a bit nervous.

"Err, hi Marth." She smiled shyly at Marth, and he found himself smiling back. "Hey Peach. Meet my friends. This is Roy, Linka, and Zelda."

"Hey!" Link protested, while Roy and Zelda burst out laughing.

"Oh, I remember you guys. Hi guy and girls." Marth joined Roy and Zelda, roaring with laughter while Link tried hiding under the table. Peach looked at the ground, shyness overcoming her. "Nice to meet you guys. Ready to go, Marth?" Marth nodded. "Sure. Listen, I'll see you guys later, 'kay?" His friends nodded, all lost for words. 'Explain later' , He mouthed to them. They quickly composed themselves and nodded. Marth turned and left, with Peach at his side.

"So, how're classes going for you?" Marth ventured after they had been walking in silence for a few minutes. "They're okay, I guess." Peach was talking to the ground. "I like some of them, Choir being one of my favorites, apart from English Lit. and Advanced Algebra." Marth nodded. "Those are my favorites too." He laughed lightly at Peach's surprised face. "Really?"

"Yep."

"That's cool." They continued walking, eventually ending up in the university's gardens. They sat down on a stone bench, both appreciating the sun's warmth. Eventually, Marth turned to Peach and asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?" Peach seemed to jump, then shook her head. Her golden locks bounced around, and Marth laughed again. Her hair seemed to glow in the sun, and he thought it quite a cute look on her. "Oh, I just wanted … wanted to tell you thanks … for trying to help me. You know, when those girls … beat me up the other day." Her voice shook slightly towards the end. Marth nodded. He did remember the other day. Hell, it had been yesterday! "It's okay." He waited for a moment. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" She shook her head. "No, that was it." Marth looked at her, confused. "That's it? Really?" Peach finally looked at him. She nodded. "That was really it." Marth looked away, for the first time in a week feeling frustrated. If that's all she had wanted to tell him, then why hadn't she told him this this morning! It only took ten minutes! They both said nothing, sitting in complete silence. Finally, Peach spoke. "You seem … upset. Is everything okay?"

"What? Oh, I'm fine. No, nothing's bothering me."

"Oh, okay." More silence as birds chirped and Peach fidgeted with the strap of her book bag. "Oh God, I'm late!" Marth looked up, blinking in confusion. "For what?" Peach was looking at her watch, a look of panic on her face. "N … nothing. Listen Marth, I'll see you later." Without waiting for a response, she took off, leaving him befuddled. He stared after her for a moment before standing and stamping his foot. He didn't care that he looked like a girl when he did this. He had been waiting for this all morning, and all he had gotten from her was that? He headed off, not realizing where he was headed until he got to his dorm. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was met with a blast of air that seemed to have come from the inferno itself. He stepped inside, squinting through the steam, trying to see what was going on. When he saw no signs of a fire, he walked further into the dorm. The more steps he took, the hotter it seemed to get. He finally made it to the hall, where he saw the thermostat. It currently read 180 degrees. He made a quick move and lunged for the thermostat. He wrenched it from the wall, smashing it against the wall. He then dragged himself, sweating and all, to open every window and door he could find. Today was just not his day.

Zelda and the two other boys found their friend, three hours later, sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. It took a few cups of ice water to revive him. He gasped, sitting up with a groan. "What happened?" Link asked, before Marth could get a word out. "I … forgot … to … turn … off … the … heater. I turned … it … up … too … high." Marth said all whilst panting. Roy entered the room, handing his friend a cup of water. "How the hell do you forget something like that?" Samus asked, walking into the room. She waved a hand and turned on the air conditioner. "I forget when I'm really tired and it's 48 degrees in the morning."

"Oh wow Marth. Real smart move." Roy helped his panting friend up. "You know what Roy?"

"What?"

"Shut up." Marth wiped a hand across his forehead. Zelda started opening all the doors, trying to get some fresh air into the heated dorm.

"So, why'd you skip class Marth? It's not like you." Roy teased, adding a I-don't-approve-of-your-actions voice. "You have never shown any sign of forgetting about your studies. I am very disappointed in you." Zelda giggled, making Marth blush with embarrassment. "It was only the first time. I … I wasn't feeling well." He lied. He wasn't really in the mood to tell his friends what had happened with Peach. Zelda seemed to catch his mood, however. "C'mon guys, let's get Link out of the freezer. I think he stuck himself in there." They left, leaving Marth with his thoughts.

Marth sat on one of the couches, his thoughts reeling from today's events. He summed it up for it being such a crappy day because of his lack of sleep. If only that dream would leave him. But it wouldn't. It just kept coming back …

~Marth's Dream~

Castle walls crumbled as flames licked their way up the foundation. Marth watched with horror as the only home he could call home burned to the ground. He was still waiting, watching for the moment when his mother and father would stumble from the flames. They would be hurt, but alive and healthy. Marth watched as women and children were rescued from the burning town. For it was true. Not only was his home burning, but his kingdom. It had all burst into flames on his coming of age party. Every one from man to child had gathered at the kingdom's center and castle, celebrating the young prince's arrival into manhood. And now that it had happened, everything was burning. During the festivities, a sniper had been launched into the celebrations, hurting many and setting the place ablaze. The flames had then spread quickly. Luckily, he and his elder sister were able to escape the burning wreckage. Now, they were only waiting for their parents to emerge.

Suddenly, Marth felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and was met with his sister's tearstained face. "Marth, they're not coming back. They're never coming back." At first, Marth didn't understand. Then, a sinking feeling arose, and he stepped forward, burying his face in his sister's shoulder. Her arms enfolded him in a comforting embrace. They stood there for a while, and even turned to look as the last stones collapsed into the fire.

Neither sibling said anything. They stood there, hugging each other for comfort. Marth no longer felt like a man. He felt small, a child, enveloped in his sister's arms. He was merely 14, the turning point of his life, and his parents were dead. Finally, Ellis pulled away from her brother. "You have to leave Marth. You have to run, and never turn back. You are no longer welcome here, as much as I am." Her face looked down at him, no trace of her usual humor visible. She started to pull away, but Marth clutched at her frantically. No, he tried to say. Take me with you. Ellis seemed to understand. She shook her head. "No, my brother. Our paths must separate here. We must each remain safe, for the sakes of our parents." She kissed his cheek. "I will try to find you. I love you, and never forget that. Do you understand?" Marth nodded. Words were beyond him. Ellis embraced him one final time, and then, with a great swish of her dress, she was gone.

Marth was alone.

~End dream~

"Marth, wake up!" Marth bolted upright, gasping in terror. Pit stood before him, a look of concern upon his face. "Are you okay? You were muttering in your sleep and twitching quite a lot." Marth nodded, rubbing sleep and tears from his eyes. "Uh … yeah, I'm okay pit. Thanks for asking." Pit studied him for a moment. Finally, he decided. "You look like you could use some tea and some comfort food. C'mon, follow me." Without waiting for a response, Pit turned and headed to the kitchen. Marth gratefully followed, unsure of what was to follow.

A/N: Next chapter! We'll hear from Pit as Marth relays his horrifying nightmare, and we also find out a little about Pit and Peach's relationship. Please R&R! Next chapter will be up soon. I don't promise. I never do. :D

~FE


End file.
